No Way Out (1987) vs. The Big Clock (1948)

Like you, I noticed the similaries as well. I saw Costner's film first and then saw The Big Clock years later. I tend to like the Big Clock better b/c its just out and out a good film and I love film noir. I still like No Way Out, too. I like both films so much I have both of them in my collection.

Despite the similaries, the two films do have differences. One major difference is Milland's character is married while Costner isn't. The Big Clock is considered film noir while No Way Out isn't a noir (what a shame). Also, Clock was shot in the studio while Out isn't.

What's interesting about Clock is how the plot heavily involves Milland's wife while Out tends to focus more on the mistress (Sean Young), yet in Clock, the mistress seems to no longer matter in a sense. I wished that the screenwriters of No Way Out had brought in Hackman's wife. She just disappeared into the scencery. I wonder what kind of mix of drama there would have been.

Question...what did you think of Harry Morgan in the Big Clock? He played Laughton's heavy, the one Milland was running from. That's another major difference b/w the two films. Hackman's second hand man did his dirty work while Laughton's second hand man kept his hands clean. Morgan was the person for that.

One thing I do like about Out, it shows old films had great plots, which can be made in present day and work! Also, I'm glad I'm not the only one who enjoys great old films. I don't know if you old films but if you like Ray Milland, check him out in "Dial M for Murder". All I can say is...sweet...

No Way Out was, I read, acually intended to be a remake of The Big Clock.

With me it's a tie; both are great whodunit/noir films, although the 1987 Russian spy plot makes more sense in No Way Out, and the Pentagon such a fabulous location for shooting. But no character in NWO is as sinister or creepy as the goon played by Harry Morgan in the 1948 original. Plus, I actually had sympathy for the Gene Hackman character, whereas I had none for the Laughton character. Wasn't Republican Presidential candidate Fred Thompson great as the Head of the CIA in NWO? If he doesn't win the nomination, and the Republican nominee beats Hillary next November, perhaps he can be one in real life, not just in reel life.

Kevin Costner's best performance until he starred in JFK four years later, although the movie's standout performance was by Will Patten, who, as Roger Ebert pointed out, should have been Oscar nominated. Ten years later, Costner and Patten would star in the ill-fated Postman, which didn't have the good fortune of being as great as NWO. Superb performances by all including Sean Young and a surprisingly good Iman. One of the best films of the 1980s.

I saw NWO in the theater when it was first released, and I remember reading at the time that it was a remake of "The Big Clock" (which I finally just saw, 22 years later). I confess I don't remember a lot about NWO at this point, but I really enjoyed CLOCK and thought it had a good mix of humor and suspense, as well as a good mastery of tension and release.

I've seen No Way Out and like it. It was interesting and suspenseful. I did absolutely HATE the final twist at the end, however.

I am just now beginning to watch The Big Clock. Looking forward to seeing it, and we'll see how much I like it.

I just watched The Big Clock for the first time on TCM and was thinking the reverse. Especially when the Crimeways building went into lockdown. Before then I was like "yknow someone should remake this, it's great!" then I saw that scene and I realized someone had "omg No Way Out!".

I like them both very much. Kevin Costner and Ray Milland both at the peak of their powers made for great entertainment.

I do like the way they worked humor into the older films, I think it made a more complete film. Todays films are too grim.

Considering No Way Out´s a remake AND has a Kevin Costner in the lead, it coulda been a whole lot worse. As it stands, it´s a fairly OK, if unremarkable little thriller - albeit one with an awful finale. The Big Clock, on the other hand, looks very much like one of the very best of its kind; the somewhat comically overwrought opening voiceover blaring from Milland´s noggin aside, there´s really nothing wrong with it at all. A lean, compact, exquisitely constructed & outstandingly filmed exercise in gripping suspense with superb performances by Milland, Laughton, Macready & pretty much the entire cast. And it´s funny, too. Even Hitchcock wouldn´t have gotten it down better than that. It´d be about 9/10 for Clock vs some 6,5-7/10 for NWO.



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